Mika Brzezinski: “The Hunters Used Campaign Funds For Ski Trips, Hotel Stays And European Vacations. They Golfed, They Bought Makeup. They Paid For Airline Tickets And For Friends And Relatives And Invested In Tequila Shots And Gourmet Steaks.” MIKA BRZEZINSKI: “House speaker Paul Ryan has stripped California congressman Duncan hunter of committee assignments following news hunter and his wife have been indicted. The couple is accused of converting more than a quarter of a million dollars in campaign funds to pay for personal expenses. According to the indictment, the hunters used campaign funds for ski trips, hotel stays and European vacations. They golfed, they bought makeup. They paid for airline tickets and for friends and relatives and invested in tequila shots and gourmet steaks. The indictment alleges incident after incident in which the hunters spent campaign money on personal outings and meals and then told their campaign treasurer the expenses were legitimate, including $1,900 spent sending a family member to a Pittsburgh steelers game. Hunter was the second member of congress to endorse Donald Trump in 2016. The first was congressman Chris Collins. Both Collins and hunter are now under indictment. A spokesperson for hunter said yesterday the congressman believes this action is purely politically motivated. Hunter, a Republican, up for re-election in November. California’s secretary of state says there is no process to remove his name from the ballot. And the state does not allow write-in candidates. Wow. Elise, drain the swamp.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 8/22/18; VIDEO]
Elise Jordan: “It Starts At The Top With Donald Trump, But When You Have A Rank And File Member Of The House Behaving This Way, It Does Help Democrats To Be Able To Claim That The Republican Party Is Completely Infested With Corruption.” ELISE JORDAN: “Mika, the most atrocious part of it was that apparently they spent money at a golf shop that they said, well, let’s just, you know, charge it to the campaign funds and we can write it off as a veterans expense. And it’s just so disgusting, how this kind of rot and corruption, you know, it starts at the top with Donald Trump, but when you have a rank and file member of the house behaving this way, it does help Democrats to be able to claim that the Republican party is completely infested with corruption.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 8/22/18; VIDEO]
John Berman: “Another Trump Ally Facing Legal Trouble, Calls Are Now Growing For Republican Congressman Republican Duncan Hunter To Resign.” JOHN BERMAN: “Another Trump ally facing legal trouble, calls are now growing for republican congressman republican Duncan Hunter to resign, after he and his wife were indicted for allegedly using a quarter million in campaign funds for paying for personal expenses.” [New Day, CNN, 8/22/18; Video]